Canopy Lighting Education

Metal Halide, High-Pressure Sodium, and Mercury Vapor Lamps are all forms of HID lamps and the most common non-LED canopy lighting. They all share common issues.

Energy Cost

Common HID lamps used in canopy lighting applications have a typical range of 100 watts to 1000 watts, with the higher wattage producing higher light output. There are several factors that play a role in the number of wattages that are utilized, such as quantity, spacing, mounted height. A 400w or 1000w HID fixture can cost up between $220 and $550 to operate per lamp/year in electricity costs alone.

Lighting Performance

The performance characteristics of HID lamps can vary significantly, depending upon the type that is utilized in your facility. If your facility is utilizing High-Pressure Sodium, you could be seeing a longer useful life then some of the other forms of HID due to slower lumen degradation. But due to their fuel structure, they can produce an Orange light with a very low Color Rendering Index. The illumination produced by operating Metal Halide lamps will initially provide a white light, but with the accelerated lumen degradation common to Metal Halide lamps the overall lifetime of your lamps will decrease and produce a pink illumination that barely provides light.

Maintenance Costs

When it comes to canopy lighting, maintenance costs are always a big concern. Not only do you have to worry about the lamp’s lifetime, but these fixtures also require the use of a bucket truck or lift to change out the lamps and ballasts. If your organization does not have its own bucket truck or lift, you are forced to hire an outside contractor to maintain the flood lighting in your facility. These expenses add up fast and over the course of 3 years, you could be looking at $1,200 in labor and materials to maintain a single canopy light fixture.